Program Reviews

Project Laut exceeded every expectation I had for a divemaster and conservation internship. From the moment I arrived in Nusa Penida, I felt welcomed into a close-knit, passionate community dedicated to protecting marine life and empowering future dive professionals. The program was well-structured, blending top-tier diving instruction with hands-on conservation projects that truly made a difference.

The staff made the experience extraordinary: Asia, the head divemaster instructor, was an incredible mentor. Her attention to detail and ability to tailor training to each intern’s strengths helped me develop confidence in my skills. Margeaux, the resident marine biologist, brought so much knowledge and enthusiasm to every conservation project. Her guidance in reef restoration and turtle identification surveys was invaluable. Abas, a local divemaster and marine scientist, brought a deep connection to the area and its underwater ecosystems. His expertise in coral health and his stories about growing up in Indonesia inspired me every day.

The program’s blend of professionalism and heart makes it truly one-of-a-kind. Whether I was leading dives, constructing coral structures, or analyzing marine data, I felt like my contributions mattered. The friendships I built and the skills I gained will stay with me for a lifetime.

I enjoyed my time greatly at this internship. The level of diving knowledge you are taught at PL makes you feel safe and comfortable in all diving environments. They hold safety as a top priority and the dive sites and marine life we were able to see were remarkable. You also get a good look into culture of the area which is always important to me when going to a new country. Their focus on conservation is top notch, and unlike many programs in conservation you are actually making a difference. I ended up extending my trip to continue with the Instructor program with Joma. I learned a lot and felt prepared for the evaluation at the end. Although this program is expensive, it is well worth the money for the high level of instruction and training, top of the line gear (they use long hose set up and X Deep!!!!), and amount of dives you are able to get in.

The staff at Project Laut has helped me so much throughout my entire internship, they always made me feel like I belonged. They have made me feel confident in myself and my abilities and I am sure to recommend them to anyone looking to try their hand at marine conservation and get their diving certifications. They will teach you everything you need to know and more so you can be as knowledgeable about diving in a fun and safe way. As well as incorporating conservation in every dive as you ID turtles, help corals grow over rubble, monitor natural threats, collect trash and detangle fishing lines.

I had an amazing time with the Project Laut team and all the interns. The diving in Indonesia is some of the best in the world, and the sometimes challenging dive sites around Nusa Penida are perfect for building confidence and progressing toward becoming a professional diver.
If you are only a bit social you will form great friendships along the way.
It was nice to see how dedicated the entire team is to conservation. Even in just 10 weeks, you can make an impact on the coral reefs health and learn a lot along the way. I highly recommend it.

My DM internship at Project Laut in Bali was unforgettable AWESOME experience! Over the 3 months, I learned so much about Marine conservation, coral planting and guiding tourists. Joma, Sita, Asia, Margo and Abbas and the whole team with interns included were amazing ,making the work both fun & educational. I also made lifelong friends with some of the best memories made over focaccia. I cant wait to visit Project Laut again to see reef sharks and Mola molas which truly felt like they were from another planet. A huge thank you for the incredible experiences and the opportunity to be part of team for 3 months ❤️
🪸 Small team same dream!🇫🇮

I came to Penida and happened to walk into Nomads Dive Shop while wandering the streets. I immediately fell in love with the vibe, the passionate employees, and the cutest shop dogs. I applied to do the DM internship the next day. What was supposed to be a 2-month internship turned into over 6 months on the island, getting my instructors, and now I happily live here in Bali. This internship changed my life completely!

Many other divemaster internships teach you to be an okay diver as long as you can pass the exams. At Project Laut, the instructors passionately teach you to be the absolute best diver you can be. They push you hard and hold you to the highest expectations in the best way possible.

Penida is not an easy place to dive; there are unpredictable conditions and strong currents. But what better place to learn?! They say if you can learn to dive in Penida, you can dive anywhere in the world, and it's true.

Project Laut is now my family and I am so grateful, do yourself a favor and do this internship <3

I had an incredible experience with Project Laut in 2023! The dive training with Asia was thorough and incredibly detailed, enhancing my skills and confidence underwater. Abas and Margeaux made the coral restoration projects fascinating, combining hands-on work with scientific insights, making the experience both educational and inspiring.

The reefs here are some of the healthiest I’ve seen, teeming with life. Despite having only an open water certification, and no prior experience in conservation, I quickly gained the knowledge and skills needed to feel confident and competent. Completing my instructor course with Project Laut was a dream come true.

The team’s passion and dedication to marine conservation are evident in everything they do. I highly recommend Project Laut to anyone looking to advance their diving career while making a meaningful impact on marine conservation!

What is there to say? I loved my 10 weeks with Project Laut more than I ever expected to, it's been the highlight of my backpacking journey so far! Sita, Joma and all of the staff at Project Laut and Nomads were fantastic and I already miss them now that I'm gone. The other interns were great to be with, and, whether diving or exploring the island on our days off, I have wonderful memories with them all.

I would definitely recommend Project Laut to anyone seeking a new adventure, you can't go wrong

I spent 8 weeks with Project Laut in Nusa Penida. I came for the research internship as I was already certified divemaster. I didn’t study marine biology so I came to learn more about the ocean. With the ecology class, I can now say that I know and understand better the underwater world.
The programme for the turtles ID is really interesting and I hope it will be useful in the future to keep protecting the sea turtles in Nusa Penida.
The coral plantation in front of the dive center is growing really fast, and was really nice to be part of this project too.

I decided to join project Laut to change my life and focus more on my passion -scuba diving. I was there for 3 months and I really enjoyed the time with all the other interns, Joma and Sita.
I really improved my diving skills and I could help in the conservation programs such as turtle ID and coral restoration.
I also attended some ecology courses, and they were very interesting and help me to understand better the underwater world.
At the end of the program I also decided to join the instructor course and they prepared me really really well!
I strongly recommend this internship not only for all the skills and knowledge you will learn but also for the wonderful people are behind it!